Fatal Zwijndrecht mall shooting trial starting May 2024; Girlfriend still paralyzed

The criminal case against 50-year-old Minh Nghia V., accused of gunning down his ex-girlfriend and her mother at a mall in Zwijndrecht early this year, will only start in the court in Dordrecht in May 2024. Michel (66) did not survive the shooting. Anneke (38) is still largely paralyzed, AD reports.

V. is still awaiting psychiatric examination at the Pieter Baan Center (PBC), the Public Prosecution Service (OM) revealed at an interim hearing on Wednesday. At the previous hearing, the OM expected V. would be admitted for assessment in October, but now the center will only have space for him in November. In the meantime, the investigating judge will start hearing a large number of witnesses.

V. is suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend and her mother in the parking lot of the Walburg Mall in Zwijndrecht at the end of January. He severely injured his ex, 38-year-old Anneke, who is still largely paralyzed. Her 66-year-old mother, Michel, died at the scene. V. was arrested after a five-week-long manhunt. He confessed shortly after his arrest.

It is not yet clear whether the OM will charge V. with murder or manslaughter. During a previous interim hearing, V.’s lawyer, Karsten Verkaart, claimed that his client did not plan in advance to shoot Anneke and her mother. According to the lawyer, V. snapped after he heard Anneke shouting, “Call the police,” and grabbed his gun.

For a murder charge, the OM must be able to prove intent. The OM previously said that it had enough evidence for that, including the fact that V. texted the words “until death do us part” to Anneke shortly before the shooting. His well-planned escape after the shooting also seems to indicate premeditation.